Toy sound reproducing device



Jan. 16, 1968 c. A. ELWELL 3,363,904

TOY SOUND REPRODUCING DEVICE Original Filed March 19, 1962 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CA/QQL'S/Z Z WELL Jan. 16, 1968 c. A. ELWELL3,363,904

TOY SOUND REPRODUCING DEVICE Original Filed March 19, 1962 ,2Sheets-Shet 2 m N N \S m H $1 fi N INVENTOR. 6.7/0.9(55 7. EZ WELL v BY'f w United States Patent 3,363,904 TOY SOUND REPRODUCING DEVICE CharlesA. Elwell, Gardena, Califi, assignor to The Toy Development Center,Inc., Beverly Hills, Califi, a corporation of Nevada Originalapplication Mar. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 180,584, new Patent No. 3,234,687,dated Feb. 15, 1966. Divided and this application Mar. 22, 1965, Ser.No. 441,606

4 Claims. (Cl. 274-1) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A sound reproducingdevice utilizing two spaced sound tracks of contrasting import andcontained within a housing; the device being operated externally of thehousing to terminate reproduction from the first sound track at anypoint thereon and immediately reproduce from the beginning of the secondsound track, or caused to move from the end of the second sound track tothe beginning of the first sound track.

This invention relates to a sound reproducing device or phonograph,particularly adapted to be used in conjunction with or installed in atoy such as a doll or the like, and is a division of Patent No.3,234,687, issued Feb. 15, 1966, Ser. No. 180,584, filed Mar. 19, 1962.

The apparatus of the present invention comprises a relatively simple andinexpensive sound reproducing system or phonograph device designed, forexample, to be housed in a childs toy such as within the torso of alife-size baby doll. An important feature of the present inventionresides in providing a single-track or groove phonograph record havingrecorded thereon an initial sound sequence and an individual terminalsound sequence, the terminal sound sequence being adapted to bereproduced or played at any time during the reproduction of the initialsound sequence in response to a manipulation by the user of thephonograph. This feature makes it possible for example, to house thephonograph device within the torso of a life size baby doll or the like,and to incorporate in the record sound sequences indicative or" the moodof the doll, which mood is variable depending upon the activity of theuser. Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, the record hastranscribed thereon an initial sound sequence which, upon starting ofthe device by the user, reproduces the crying sounds of a hungry orotherwise uncomfortable baby, but such crying sounds are realisticallyterminated and transformed into the gurgling and cooing sounds of awell-fed or otherwise satisfied baby at the will of the user, as byplacing the nipple of a feeding bottle into the dolls mouth, whereuponthe satisfied sounds immediately begin, regardless of the position ofthe needle in the initial sound sequence portion of the record track,the satisfied sounds of the terminal portion of the record diminishingin volume and finally ending completely. Another example of theapplication of this feature is a combination wherein the initial cryingsound sequence is followed by a laughing or giggling terminal sequence,the crying sound being automatically terminated and immediately followedby the laughing sound sequence when the user tickles the doll on theusual sensitive areas under the ribs.

An important object or" the present invention is therefore to provide anovel phonograph apparatus adapted to reproduce initial and terminalsound sequences in response to appropriate manipulation by the user.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novelphonograph apparatus incorporated in a toy figure such as a doll, theapparatus being provided with a 3,363,904 Patented Jan. 16, 1968phonograph record adapted to reproduce sounds typical of the toy figurein response to manipulations of the user in the same manner as would berequired to produce the same or similar sounds from a live figure.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a soundreproducing system for a toy which is relatively simple and inexpensiveyet sufiiciently rugged to withstand the manipulations of a childnecessary to actuate the system.

Further and more detailed objects of the present invention it isbelieved will be readily apparent from the following detaileddescription of a preferred embodiment thereof, when read in connectionwith the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation of the torso and head of a dollincorporating the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 2-2 ofFIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view the line 3-3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line 4--4 ofFIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to FIGURE 3, butillustrating the tone arm in position to reproduce the terminal portionof the record.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmentary view similar to FIGURE 2, but illustrating thepositions of the parts during the transfer of the tone arm from theinitial sound sequence portion to the terminal sound sequence portion.

FIGURE 7 is a view similar to FIGURE 6, but illustrating the positionsof the parts during the transfer of the tone arm to the startingposition.

Referring now to the drawings, the apparatus of the present inventioncomprises a phonograph 10 mounted in a housing 12, the bottom 13 ofwhich may conveniently comprise the back wall portion of a hollow dolltorso 18. The top wall 14 of the housing may include a cylindrical soundchamber 15 terminating in a speaker grid 16 formed in the front wall 17of the torso. The phonograph includes a record 20 of generallyconventional disc construction having a single helical record groove ortrack 21, the record being supported on a disc member 22 mounted on aspindle 23 driven by a belt 24 which is connected to the drive shaft 25'of a motor 26 powered by a battery 27.

A tone arm 30 is provided, the arm being mounted on a post 31 secured tothe housing bottom wall 13 by means of a screw member 32 extendingthrough an oversize aperture in the end of the arm. In this manner, thearm is free to pivot about an axis perpendicular to the plane of thebottom wall 13 and the plane of the record 20, and to also pivot aboutan axis generally parallel to such planes, with the outer end of thetone arm being free to move upwardly and away from the record as bestshown in FIGURE 4. Means are provided biasing the tone arm in thedirection of the record, and as shown in FIG URE 4, these means mayinclude a leaf spring 35.

The tone arm carries a conventional phonograph needle 38 having apointed lower end adapted to ride in the record track, the needleextending upwardly through the tone arm and said upper end of the needlebeing operably connected to a speaker cone 40, as by cementing or thelike. The cone, which is preferably made of paper or other suitablematerial is supported by a housing 41 secured to the top surface of theouter end of the tone arm 30. As shown in FIGURE 4, the tone and ispreferably provided with a peripheral flange having corrugations 42, theouter periphery of the flange being cemented to the upper rim of thehousing 41.

The battery switch comprises a pair of conductor leaf spring members 50and 51, most conveniently secured at taken substantially on their innerends to the spindle 23, the member 50 being provided with a curved endadapted to be contacted by the tone arm when the tone arm is in therecord completed or ended position, to move the member 50 to the left asseen in FIGURE 3 and to open the switch.

While, as indicated above, the record 20 is of gen erally conventionalconstruction, this applies to the overall construction and materialthereof, but it will be noted that the record incorporates an importantfeature of the present invention in that the record track 21 is providedwith an initial sound sequence portion generally indicated 54 and aterminal sound sequence portion generally indicated 55, a blank ortransition area 56 being provided between these sound sequence portions,the record track helix angle being increased in the area 56 as indicatedat 57 in FIGURE to spread over the area 56, for a purpose to bedescribed below, the portion of the record track traversing the area 56having recorded thereon the end of the initial sound sequence and thebeginning of the terminal sound sequence portion.

Means are provided for initiating or starting the operation of thephonograph, and as shown in the drawings these means may include meansfor lifting the tone arm 30 away from the record 20 to clear the needle38 out of the end 58 (FIGURE 5) of the record track and to transport thetone arm to the record starting position shown by the right-hand phantomlines in FIGURE 2. The starting means includes an L-shaped, manuallyoperated lever 61 having a leg 61 extending through an opening in thebottom wall 13 and pivot-ally connected to a housing extension member at62. An extension rod 63 extends outwardly from the free end of the tonearm 35, overlying the other leg 64 of the lever 69. A coil spring member65 normally biases the lever 60 into the starting position shown inFIGURE 2.

Means are provided for lifting the tone arm away from the record at anygiven time during the reproduction of the initial sound sequence portion54, and for transporting the tone arm and placing the needle in therecord track at the beginning of the terminal sound sequence portion 55.As shown in the drawings, these means may include an actuator plunger 70slideably mounted in fitting 71 supported in the open mouth 72 of thedoll, the fitting 71 being provided with an enlarged bore 73 and a boredside extension 74 to which may be connected a tubing 75 leading to anoutlet (not shown) in the lower portion of the doll, the tubing 75 beingprovided to carry away water fed into the mouth from a feeding bottle76, whereby the conventional drink and wet feature is incorporated. Thebottle 76 is of generally conventional configuration and includes agenerally conventional nipple 77, the nipple being provided with aliquid outlet 78. Extending across the mouth of the bottle is perforateddisc 79 carrying a relatively stiff but somewhat flexible rod element80, the rod element extending into contact with the inner surface of theouter end of the nipple 77 to lend rigidity thereto. Means are providedfor preventing the leakage of water into the reduced bore 81 of thefitting 71 and as shown in the drawings these means may include asealing flange 82 carried by the plunger 7 t and adapted to seat againstthe bottom of the bore 73 when the plunger is in the depressed position.

The plunger 70 is connected by means of a flexible connector 85 to a rod86 slideably mounted within a fitting 87 carried on a partition member88a. The rod 86 contacts an arm 88 which is operably connected to thehousing for swingable movement with respect thereto, the arm 88 in turncontacting one end of a wire member 90, the other end of the member 90contacting the underside of a saddle member 91 in slideable relationtherewith. The saddle member 91 is pivotally connected at 92 to the leg64 of the lever 60 for pivotal movement to the position shown in FIGURE6 upon actuation by the wire member 90. Means are provided for normallymaintaining the plunger 70 and its associated parts in the positionshown by the solid lines in FIGURES 2 and 7, and as shown in thedrawings, these means may include a bent portion 95 of the wire memberand a spring element having a pair of legs 96 and 97 operable within apair of parallel, inclined grooves 98 in the housing extension member99, the leg 96 abutting against the ends of the grooves and the leg 97contacting the bent portion 95.

The battery 27 is maintained in position by means of the usual leafspring battery contacts 1% and if desired a web member 101 is providedto permit ready removal of the battery through a conveniently locateddoor 102 in the front wall of the doll torso.

In operation of the apparatus described above, assuming the tone arm 30and its associated parts is in the normal ended or record terminatedposition illustrated by the left-hand phantom lines of FIGURE 2, thephonograph is started at the will of the operator merely by moving thelever 60 to the left as seen in FIGURE 2, thus pivoting the lever andcausing the free end of the leg 64 to move upwardly and away from therecord 20. In so doing, the leg 64 contacts the arm 63 on the tone arm,lifting the tone arm and also the needle away from contact with therecord, continued upward movement of the leg 64 causing the tone arm andits associated parts to move to the starting position illustrated by theright-hand phantom lines in FIGURE 2, the end of the arm 88 acting as astop against which the housing 41 abuts to limit further movement of thetone arm and its associated parts. It will be noted that prior tomovement of the tone arm as thus described, the tone arm was in aposition to contact the switch spring member 50, holding it away fromcontact with the spring member 51 and thus maintaining the switch in theopen position, as shown best in FIGURE 5. Upon movement of the tone armand its associated parts to the right as seen in FIGURE 2, the spring 50is permitted to come into contact with the spring 51, closing the switchand energizing the motor 26 to initiate rotation of the record 2t). Uponreleasing the lever 60, it is moved to the normal solid line position bythe spring 65, thus lowering the tone arm and the needle so that theneedle contacts the record 20 and, upon the continued rotation thereof,the needle finds its way into the record track and reproduction of theinitial sound sequence portion begins. If no further action is taken bythe operator, the needle will remain in the record track and the recordwill be played to the very end, including the terminal sound sequenceportion 55, whereupon the tone arm will be in a position to move thespring 50 to the switch open position of FIGURE 5 at which time themotor will stop.

In normal use of the apparatus however, the operator will desire tocomfort the doll and in the use of the specific example of apparatusdescribed above, the operator will insert the nipple 77 or otherapplicable object into the mouth opening 72. In so doing, thelongitudinally-rigid nipple 77 contacts the end of the plunger 70,moving it inwardly from the position shown in FIG- URE 2. This in turnmoves the rod 86 to the left as seen in FIGURE 2, also resulting inmovement of the arm 88 and wire member 94) in the same direction, thelefthand end of the wire member 90 being thus moved to the left andupwardly, causing the saddle member 91 to pivot to the position shown inFIGURE 6 wherein the saddle member contacts the arm 63 and raises thetone arm and its associated parts upwardly and away from the record 20.Continued upward pivotal movement of the saddle member 91 forces thetone arm and its associcated parts in the leftward direction as seen inFIGURES 2 and 6, until the needle reaches a position immediately abovethe pivot point 92 at which point the needle is deposited upon therecord in the blank area 56, continued turning of the record causing theneedle to be picked up by the record track and to continue therein,reproducing the terminal sound sequence portion of the record. Thus, itis to be understood that regardless of the position of the needle in theinitial sound sequence portion of the record, the operator canimmediately cause the sound sequence, in this case the crying sound, tocease merely by placing the nipple in the mouth, the doll responding, aswould a live baby, with realistic sounds of pleasure such as gurglingand cooing, these sounds diminishing in volume and ending with theending of the record, whereupon the parts are in a position for arepetition of the entire operation at the will of the operator. It is tobe noted that the switch arm 50 acts as a stop for the tone arm 30 afteractuation by saddle 91 to prevent the me dle 38 from sliding over thearea 55 by the momentum it has gained through sliding down the saddle.

It is believed that it will be understood from the above descriptionthat the apparatus of the present invention is extremely simple yethighly effective and designed for use even by the youngest of childrencapable of playing with dolls. As an illustration of the simplicity ofoperation of the device, it will be understood that in the remote eventthat the operator were to move the lever 60 to the starting position andmove the nipple into the mouth 72, the tone arm and its associated partswould be lifted upwardly and away from the record and would be forced toa neutral position immediately above the pivot point 92. In thisposition, the switch would be closed so that the record would beturning, but there would be no contact of the needle in the record trackuntil the lever 60 were released.

As is apparent from the above, the apparatus of the present inventioncan be applied to different structures to produce varying effects. Byway of further example, the specific means described above for shiftingthe tone arm from the initial portion of the record to the terminalportion of the record can be changed to embody a plunger (not shown),but generally similar to the plunger 70, po-

sitioned at a sensitive spot on the doll body to there be actuated bythe finger of the operator in simulation of tickling of the doll. Inthis example, it may be desirable to provide a record wherein theinitial sound sequence portion is adapted to reproduce crying or othersounds of discomfort or displeasure, whereas the terminal sound sequenceportion of the record would be adapted to reproduce giggling or laughingsounds. Otherwise, the structure and operation of such an apparatuswould be generally the same as that described above.

It will be further observed that the apparatus is designed to functionin all respects in any positional attitude of the housing and theapparatus contained therein.

Having fully described my invention, it is to be understood that I donot wish to be limited to the details set forth, but my invention is ofthe full scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A phonograph, comprising: a record having an initial sound track anda terminal sound track of contrasting context; sound reproducing meansfor playing said record; selectively operable control means having afirst condition permitting the playing of both of said sound tracks insequence, and selectively manipulable to a second condition forseparating said reproducing means from said record and terminatingreproduction of the initial sound track at any point therein and meansresponsive to said control means reaching said second condition forinitiating substantially immediate return of said reproducing means tosaid record and reproduction of the terminal sound track by saidreproducing means; means enclosing and concealing said record, playingmeans and control means to prevent direct access thereto; and manualmeans accessible outside said enclosure for changing said control meansfrom its first condition to its second condition. i

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said reproducing means includes apivoted tone arm carrying a phonograph needle adapted to traverse saidtrack, power operated means for driving said record, and switch meanscooperating with said tone arm to energize said power means to initiateand terminate the driving of said record depending upon the position ofsaid tone arm with respect to said record; and said control meansincludes a device traversing said initial sound track and terminating atthe beginning of said terminal sound track for lifting and deflectingsaid phonograph needle from said initial sound track irrespective of itsposition thereon and depositing said needle on said terminal soundtrack.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said reproducing means includes apivoted tone arm carrying a phonograph needle adapted to traverse saidtrack; and said control means includes a first arm traversing both ofsaid sound tracks and tiltable to lift and deflect said tone arm fromthe end of the terminal sound track to the beginning of the initialsound track, and a second arm traversing said first sound track andterminating at the beginning of the said terminal sound track to liftand deflect said tone arm from any point over said initial sound trackto the beginning of said second sound track.

4. A phonograph, comprising: a record. having an initial sound track anda terminal sound track being of contrasting context; means for playingsaid record; multipart control means for controlling the position ofsaid playing means; means enclosing and concealing said record, saidplaying means, and said control means for preventing direct accessthereto; first manual means accessible outside said enclosure foractuating one part of said multi-part control means; said one part beinga first pivotally mounted cam element which is actuated by being pivotedto lift said playing means from said initial sound track; said camelement, when lifted being a slide upon which said playing means slidesinto engagement with said terminal sound track for initiatingsubstantially immediate reproduction of the terminal sound track.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,485,137 2/1924 Hunter 274 l42,552,757 5/1951 Adler et al. 274 l4 XR 2,845,272 7/ 1958 Kamler 274-142,888,267 5/1959 Murro 274l5 2,952,464 9/1960 Stimler 274-45 LEONARDFORMAN, Primary Examiner. L. ANDERSON, Assistant Examiner.

